Feeder for ingot molds



March 7, 1933. B H HOWARD 1,900,816

FEEDER FOR meow moms Filed Dec. '12, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 7, 1933. HOWARD FEEDER FOR INGOT MOLDS Filed Dec. 12, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 7, 1933- B. H. HOWARD FEEDER FOR INGOT HOLDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 12, 1927 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 ULNLIl-TED STATES P F'lfE I1 BLOOICFIELDHLHTOWARD, or wasnme'romnrs'rnicr or. conumam FEEDER FOR INGOT MOLDS' Application filed-December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,494,

templatedby having intermediate the ends thereof, a throat of :relatively contracted area, through which the metal is poured duringthe casting operation, and through which the metal mustpass for feeding the shrinkage.- v

In prior structureswith which I am familiar this relatively narrow throat has opened. into an-upwardly and outwardly flaring portionacting as a .reservoir havin a predetermined body of molten metal. This reservoir has been freely opened -at its upper end-to the atmosphere permitting the rapid dissipation of 'heat' therefrom, both by radiation directly to the atmosphere and by ab- 2 'sorption; conduction and radiation, through and from the feeder body itself. In'such cases, this comparatively rapid dissipation of heat hastendeld-fto produce a solidifying area:withi n the reservoir adjacent the upper 39 "end-thereof, as well as-within the reservoir adjacent the throat area- The solidification of any metal within the throat area has restricted the free flow 'ofmolten metal therethrough, whereby shrinkage has not been satisfactorily fed. The combined action of the solidifying portions has been such as to decrease the heat effective for feeding purposes;

The present invention has for one of its "objects the provision of a feeder adapted to cooperate with the upper end of an ingot moldand so constructed as to contain a maximum body of liquid meta-lunder such conditions that the effective area of the ingot mold nerthat a minimum radiation of heat with a max-imnmhead -of molten metal is available at all times.

The invention: contemplates the:utilization ot a fe'eder having a portionofminimum the desired 7 of" heat rays other words, creasing, cross section for the reception of'the cross sectional area and a portion of maxi mum cross sectional areaaw-ith an upwardly and inwardlycurved wall portion intermediate said areas, and with; airelatively remunioating at one end directly to the atmosphere, andxa-t the other end to the portion of mmlmum'area- The invention further contemplatesthe provision of such reserved body of metal preferably entirely above the plane above the top edge of the-mold to therebypreserve-the maximum capacity of the ingot mold-and give head. It further contemplates that the utilization of interior walls ofsuch contour that radiation-of heat front-the molten metal: confined thereby is reduced to a minimum, radiation being-restricted by the reflectionxback' upon the moltenfimeta'l emanating therefrom.

stricted'opening ofsubstantialcontour com- The-ruse of'curved walls. of the -character referred to is of: particular advantage in that a 1 decrease in it the level of-the: molten metal within 1 the feeder produces a rapid pulling away of such metal from the side walls, or.-in

provides. areas of rapidly ainmetal as it moves :downwardly, in this mannor the tendency of-the-metal to adhere-to the 1111161 walls of the: feeder .isseifectivelyiovercome, and theentire body o-f'metal is effective for forcing a supply of molten'metal into the body of the ingot: to feed, shrinkage as rapidly asit occurs.

The opening of relatively small diameter to the atmosphere effectively minimizesheat radiation of the molten-metal=:within-the feeder. The substantially straightcylindrical wall portions forming. the openingito the atmosphere provide a sufficient body of feeder material to effectively resist cracking or'spalling with the consequent disadvantage causedwby thev pressureof refractory material within the body of the ingots -is not substantially reduced, and in such man- In the accompanyingdrawings Figure-1 is a perspectiveview of a shoulder feeder applied to a mold and embodying this invention.- a

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional 'V-ieW -0f Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a feeder showing rib supporting means.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a rectangular shoulder feeder.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a feeder embodying my invention showing the feeder extending a considerable distance above the upper end of the mold and showing lugs supporting the same on the mold.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a corrugated or fluted feeder embodying my invention.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of- Figure 7. Fi ure 9 is a vertical sectional view of a shoulder feeder applied to the mold showing the lower end of the feeder beveled.

showing the lower end of the feeder beveled.

Figure 14 is a vertical sectional view showing the mold and feeder having beveled upper and lower ends whereby the feeder is supported directly on the upper end of the mold against lateral movement thereon.

Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view showing the upper end of the mold having an annular recess forming a shoulder upon which the lower end of the feeder rests with the maximum diameter of the feeder in a plane with the walls of the mold.

Figure 16 is a diagrammatical view showing an old form of feeder in full lines and showing my improved feeder in dotted lines, and showing the relative distance that the ingot will leave the walls of the feeder upon the shrinkage of the ingot a predetermined distance.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the mold and 2 the feeder. The feeder 2 is provided with an annular shoulder 3 adapted to rest upon the upper end of the mold and having the portion 4- extending in the mold, and a greater portion of the feeder supported above the mold. The maximum bore of the feeder is at the lower end and the interior walls of the feeder are curved upwardly and inwardly from said maximum diameter or cross sectional area to the minimum diameter or cross sectional area, forming or terminating into the restricted filling opening 5.

In the modification shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, instead of having the shoulder 3 the feeder on its outer periphery is provided with vertically supporting and strengthening ri s 6.

In the modification shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the feeder 7 is of an oblong form having the shoulder 7 therearound for supporting the same in the upper end of the mold.

In the modification shown in Figure 5 I have shown the feeder 8 of a cylindrical form having the supporting lugs 9 formed integral therewith and a greater portion of the feeder above the mold. The interior wall of the feeder has its maximum diameter extending from the point A to the lower end B and from the point A the feeder is provided with an upwardly and inwardly curved wall 10 terminating at the point C, which is the minimum diameter or cross sectional area of the feeder. Extending from the point C is a restricted cylindrical opening 11 of a relatively small diameter.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown a fluted or corrugated feeder 12 provided with a shoulder 13 extending therearound and provided with the upwardly and inwardly curved walls lat extending from the maximum diameter or cross sectional area to the minimum diameter or cross sectional area and terminating in the restricted central cylindrical pouring opening 15.

In the modification shown in Figure 9 I have shown the greater portion of the feeder 16 within the mold and provided with the shoulder 17 for supporting it on the upper end of the mold. The lower end of the maximum diameter or cross sectional area is beveled as indicated at 18 and is provided with the upwardly and inwardly curved wall 19 extending from the maximum diameter or cross sectional area to the minimum diameter or cross sectional area, and provided with the central cylindrical pouring opening 20. Arranged in said opening is a filling funnel 20 used for the more convenient pouring of the molten metal.

In the modification shown in Figure 10 the exterior contour of the feeder 21 is rectangular having the maximum cross sectional area extending from the point D to the point E, and having its lower end beveled as indicated at 21. Extending from the point D upwardly and inwardly is a curved wall 22 terminating at 23 the minimum diameter or cross sectional area and provided with the central cylindrical filling opening 24. By this structure it will be seen that the upper end of the feeder, as indicated at 25, is thickened for obtaining more material and thus retaining the heat at the point most desired.

In Figure 11 of the drawings the feeder 26 is provided with a thin cylindrical wall 27 extending into the mold and having extending therefrom the upwardly and inwardly curved wall 28 extending from the maximum cross sectional area to the minimum cross sectional area and terminating in the central cylindrical opening 29.

In the modification shown in Figure 12,

the same structure is employed as that shown in Figure 5. The feeder 30, however, in this form, is not provided with ribs or shoulders but a hand 31 is employed, which encircles he feeder and strengthens the same, also serving as a support for the feeder.

I11 the modification shown in Figure 13 practically the same structure is shown as that shown in Figure 9 of the drawings, except that the lower end of the feeder 32 has a longer bevel as indicated at 33. This modification also shows the upwardly and inwardly curved wall on a smaller are, whereby the feeder would not extend a greater distance above the mold. This upwardly and inwardly curved wall 34 terminates in the cylinder filling opening 35.

In the modification shown in Figure 14 the mold 36 is shown with an inwardly beveled upper end 37 and the feeder 38 has its lower end 39 beveled whereby the two beveled walls cooperate to hold the feeder on the upper end of the mold against lateral movement. The feeder 38 is provided with the upwardly and inwardly curved wall 40 extending from the maximum cross sectional area to the minimum cross sectional area and is provided with the central restricted cylindrical pouring opening 41.

In the modification shown in Figure 15 the upper end of the mold 42 is provided with the annular cut away portion 43, and the feeder 44 extending down into the mold and rests upon the flange formed thereby with its maximum cross sectional area 45 in a vertical plane with the inner wall 46 of the mold. The said feeder is provided with an upwardly and inwardly curved wall 47 extending from the maximum cross sectional area to the minimum cross sectional area and terminating in the vertical restricted cylindrical pouring opening 48.

In the diagrammatical view shown in Figure 16, I have shown a feeder in full lines in which the inner wall of the upper end of the feeder is drawn inwardly as indicated at 49, and showing in dotted lines, as indicated at 50, my improved invention. By this diagrammatical view it will be seen that upon the shrinkage or dropping of the molten metal in the feeder a predetermined distance such as indicated by the line 51, the molten metal will leave the wall 49 of the feeder a dista are between the lines 51 and 52 while where the curved walls 49 are used the metal will leave the wall a distance from the line 53 to 54.

The feeder may be made of fire clay; foundry sand; combustible material; asbestos; sand and cement; cinders and cement; fire clay and cement; and molten slag.

opening thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. A feeder for ingot molds comprising a heat retaining body adapted to cooperate with the upper end of the mold and comprising a portion of minimum cross sectional area and a portion of maximum cross sectional area with an upwardly and inwardly curved wall portion intermediate said areas, and provided with an opening communicating at its lower end to the portion of minimum area.

2. In a hot top, a hollow body having a restricted opening at the top and having a heat deflecting wall portion of relatively large area extending from said opening to the main body portion thereof.

3. In a hot top, a hollow body having a restricted opening at the top and having a heat deflecting wall portion extending from said to substantially the mid portion 4. A hot top comprising a generally cylindrical body portion adapted to be supported on an ingot mold, the body having a bore therethrough of maximum diameter at its lower end and arched top walls communicating with a relatively restricted axial opening which communicates at its upper end with the atmosphere.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

BLOOMFIELD H. HOWARD. 

